CHANDIGARH: The worst fears of the potato farmers have come true, as more than a decade later, the late blight disease (a fungal disease) has hit potato farming in Punjab.
Around 10 percent of the crop has been totally damaged by the disease, resulting in heavy losses for the farmers. The prices have fallen more than half to Rs 4 to 5 per kilogram in wholesale.
The farmers who had opted for diversification by growing potatoes, instead of wheat after paddy this time, have suffered heavy losses.
The Central Potato Research Station at Jalandhar had warned farmers of the disease during the last week of November. The horticulture department also had warned the farmers against the late blight disease attack on potato crops.
Experts from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) had cautioned farmers against this disease. Some farmers even sprayed the fungicides while few did not.
As per data from the state Horticulture Department, potato crops are grown in 1,17,000 hectares in the state. Of this, crops in 10,000 to 12,000 hectares (which is about 8 to 10 per cent of the total area) has been damaged.
The worst damage has taken place in SAS Nagar (Mohali), where 35 per cent of crop has been damaged. SBS Nagar, Ropar, Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Fategarh Sahib and Khanna districts also saw potatoes rotting in the field even before the farmers could harvest them.
Talking with this newspaper, Shalinder Kaur, Director of Horticulture, Punjab said, "Due to the late blight disease which is a fungal disease, about 8 to 10 per cent of the potato crop has been damaged. The department had warned the farmers beforehand to spray fungicides, thus the situation has been controlled.’’
Jaswinder Singh Sangha, a potato farmer who suffered losses said that after about 10 to 15 years, the late blight disease has hit the potato crop in Punjab, and now fields are empty with nothing left.
"The actual estimates will come later but in many districts across the state, the crop is destroyed. Not only that it is a double whammy for those who had gone for diversification, as not only the disease has damaged the crop but also the wholesale rate of potatoes has crashed in the market. It is now being sold for around Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kg. Last year it was between Rs 10 to Rs 12 per kg. This will also affect the potato seeds. The government should allow us to export the produce to compensate this heavy loss,’’ he said.
Another farmer said that despite spraying fungicides recommended by the PAU, more than 60 percent of his crop has been left completely rotten due to the fungal attack.
"High humidity in the night is extremely conducive to blight attack which has damaged the baby potatoes," he said.
"As potato is sold for around Rs 40 per kg in Pakistan, we should be allowed to export them to the neighbouring country. At present we are not allowed to export crops to Pakistan,” he added.
The farmers and department officials say that it costs around Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per acre to produce potatoes which includes the price of potato seeds. Around 30 bags of seeds are required per acre to produce 100 to 120 quintals of potatoes in the main season.
